Beef, chicken, pork and turkey are made the “old-fashioned” way: Start with very lean meat, cut it into 1-1.5 inch chunks, pack it into the can by hand, add just a dash of salt to bring out the meat flavor, and then pressure cook it in the can. The result is lean and tender chunks in natural juices. The beef tastes like a slow-cooked pot roast, the chicken tastes like baked chicken, and so on. As for our broth, just look at the ingredients, it is just broth, nothing else. The only exception to this is the Beef Broth.

To compare any canned meat products, there are three basic things to look at on the label: 1) is there water added? If there is, then you are losing some meat, some quality. 2) what is the fat content? In canned meats, more fat means lower quality. 3) what is the sodium content? It is common thought that canned meats have high salt content. This is not always true. There are some quality products out there such as these that are not loaded with water, fat, and salt.

Keystone Meats is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved meat processing facility located in the heart of the American Midwest. Owned and operated by the Dorley family for four generations, Keystone has developed a strong tradition of providing the highest quality products and customer service. Their mission is 1) Safety, 2) Quality, 3) Customer Service, and 4) Competitive Price. There are four divisions of the company:

KEYSTONE MEATS delivers locally raised fresh meats to restaurants and retailers throughout the Midwest. Their USDA inspected processing plant produces a full range of meat products.

Retail

Voted "Best Place for Meat" by the Lima News, KEYSTONE MEATS retail store is the trusted local butcher for Lima, OH.

Beef Harvesting

The facility was completely rebuilt in 1979. This modern and efficient USDA plant slaughters locally grown beef to supply the wholesale and retail operations.

Supplier's Note On Shelf Life

Canned long shelf life food has a shelf life of at least two years from the date of processing. Canned food retains its safety and nutritional value well beyond two years, but it may have some variation in quality, such as a change of color and texture. Canning is a high-heat process that renders the food commercially sterile making it the perfect survival food. Food safety is not an issue in products kept on the shelf or in the pantry for long periods of time. In fact, canned long shelf life food has an almost indefinite shelf life at moderate temperatures (75 F and below). Canned food as old as 100 years has been found in sunken ships and it is still microbiologically safe! We don't recommend keeping canned survival food for 100 years, but if the can is intact, not dented or bulging, it is edible and perfect for your survival food storage pantry.

Canned food labels have tendency to peel off over time, especially if they are kept for years in your basement. In order to prevent this, put a coat of shellac over the label as soon as you get them. This way, you will always know what's in the can years later.Food cannot be shipped outside the USA.

Shelf Life and Production Code

The USDA recommends a shelf life of 5 years, provided the integrity of the can is not compromised in any way. Once opened, the meat should be treated the same as any other fresh meat. The USDA does not require a use by date on the can due to the extended shelf life. The numbers you need are on the bottom of each can.

15826 is our USDA establishment number and the other set of numbers is the date of production.

For instance, if your production code was B5174, it would be:

B = beef

5 = 2015 (the first number after the letter is the last number of the production year) (3 = 2013, 4 = 2014)

174 = the 174th day of the year according to the Julian calendar. These 3 numbers are always the day of the year. All of our Keystone Heat and Serve canned meats can be read in this manner.

NEW RECIPES

Recently Lisa made some very tasty food with our canned meats and canned broths and brought it in for all of us to share. Please see below a couple great recipes that had us all asking for seconds. Maybe it’s too much (or maybe not), but I would even add our canned bacon to both recipes too.

Bring Keystone Broth and app. amount of butter to a boil. Add stuffing and all meats. Mix together. Let sit for 5 minutes.

This was awesome!

Chicken Salad

1 Can Keystone Chicken Chunks1 OnionMayo or Miracle Whip

Mix all together, makes a really good sandwich! Serve with Chips and Deviled Eggs!

Great Add On Idea - A G.I P-38 Can Opener

The G.I P-38 Can Opener became popular with the troops during World War II and are still popular today. People love keeping them handy in their homes, backpacks, or keychains because they make such small, handy survival tools.

Measuring at a mere 1.5" long, dimensions: 1.5" x 5/8" (inches) with a tip which extends .5", these can openers are a great deal at a small price. You may want to even consider stocking up and taping one to each of your emergency canned food items you have in storage. This way, no matter what you'll always have means to open those emergency cans!